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Mark Weir on Stage 1
Mtbr participated in the Winter Park Enduro race and got to experience first hand what it's really like to do a world class enduro race. Five stages of some of the best downhill, bike park jumps, cross-country singletrack in the world were on tap for the best racers from 12 countries.
The first two Stages were announced in advance but the next three stages were a mystery until about 20 hours before the stage. So riders were able to practice the first two stages as much as they could arriving two days or two weeks prior to the event. But for the next three stages, everyone had a very small window to pre-ride stage 3-5. This equalized folks with varying resources to arrive in Winter Park early to practice.
The race was grueling indeed. Day one featured the Trestle Downhill run which was a full World Cup level downhill course just a few years ago. And in the afternoon, a run called Rainmaker with 25-foot tabletop jumps dared the riders to air it out.
They physical demands of the race displayed itself on Day Two, where riders, still sore from Day One had to do the technical, cross-country trails of Stage 3a and the very tricky 3b which featured drops and huge berms. Then they had to race Stage 4 which featured a lot of pedaling. And as the route for Stage 5 was announced, all the contenders had to pre-ride it. As fate would have it, the lift to access Stage 4 was struck by lightning and deemed inoperable so organizers had to cancel Stage 4. Casual observers may whine about the use of lifts to get to some parts of the mountain but they really have no clue about the physical demands of this race even with use of the lifts.
The winner of the men's race was Jerome Clementz of France. We saw him throughout the event and his abilities can be described as smooth, controlled and effortless. His teammate Mark Weir said, "Oh, he's been working at this for ten years and he is the best. He is a scientist and he is disciplined on and off the trail. And he has the peripheral vision of a hawk. He sees the trail like no other and he rarely has to get off the trail to study the lines. He just rides the trail normally and he seems to see all the option lines and remembers them all."
And Jerome has perfect stage racing strategy. He pushes very hard in the first stage or two and he adusts his strategy for the overall win. If he is trailing or he is only ahead by a couple of seconds on the latter stages, he will take all the risks and gain every second. But if he is thirty seconds or higher ahead, then he will throttle it back to ensure he doesn't crash or get a mechanical. Such is the case this weekend as Jerome got a comfortable lead after the first day.
Jared Graves
Another noteable performance was put in by Jared Graves of Yeti/Stages Cycling. Jared felt really good going in to the race as he trained hard with a power meter from Stages Cycling and was confident that he had the power and endurance to complement his world class downhill skills. So his stage results read: 1st, 117th, 1st, 2nd, 1st. Note that he absolutely killed the race but his chain went in between his small rear cog and the frame and his rear derailleur snapped. He finished in 20+th place but without the mishap in Stage 2, he would have won or would have really pushed Jerome for the top spot.
Aaron Bradford with his prototype BMC 29er
Aaron Bradford who we're used to seeing in cyclocross races stunned the field with a 4th place finish. He improved his standing every day and he put in the best finish ever for an American in an Enduro World Series race. Using a prototype long-travel BMC bike, Aaron said "I just got this bike three days ago and I decided to race with it. It is so agile and capable that it really helped me on Stage 3a where just pedaled through all those roots and rocks." The bike is not announced yet but we suspect it will be a Trailfox 29er with 140+ mm of travel.
Tracy Moseley of Trek crushed the women's field once again as she used her 140mm travel Trek Remedy 29. Smooth, plush travel was a real advantage on the downhill course of Stage 1 and the rocky, rooty singletrack of Stage 3a.
— Francis Cebedo —
Clementz solidified his lead in the overall standings with a consistent effort at Winter Park Resort.
Bolstered by riding that was both fast and consistent, Frenchman Jerome Clementz (Cannondale-OverMountain) and Brit Tracy Moseley (Trek Factory Racing) pulled off wire-to-wire overall wins at round No. 4 of the Enduro World Series at Colorado's Winter Park Resort this past weekend.
[See full results here and some cool race recap videos here.]
That helped both maintain their overall leads in the seven-race series that next heads to Whistler, British Columbia for the Crankworx round. The Enduro World Series wraps up October 19-20 in Finale Ligure, Italy.
In Colorado, Clementz won just one of the event's five stages, but was second, third, fourth and ninth on the other four, which helped him score a commanding 37-second overall triumph ahead of second-placed Nicolas Vouilloz (Lapierre). Fabien Barel (Canyon) made it a 1-2-3 sweep for France, slotting third at 0:42. Clementz's total time was 41:12.455.
Vouilloz also won a stage, with the other three going to hard-luck loser Jared Graves (Yeti), who though he finished 25th overall, appeared to be the strongest rider at Winter Park. Problem is the Aussie suffered a major mechanical on stage 2 and lost more than three minutes, putting him far out of contention.
"For enduro you can try to push very hard and take a lot of risk, or try to stay consistent," said Clementz. "I always start a weekend going 100 percent, but also try to adjust my strategy based on how the race goes."
In this case, Clementz was able to back off after winning stage 3, where he put nearly 30 seconds into his closest competitors during an 11-plus minute grind on the rough, rocky but not very steep Mountain Goat trail. "When I train, I train for the technical and also the physical," added Clementz. "This weekend it works for me."
Other notables in the final standings included top placed American Aaron Bradford in 4th, former cross-country honch Adam Craig (Giant) in 8th, Mark Weir (Cannondale-OverMountain) 19th; and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Trek Factory Racing) 20th.
Trek's Moseley put on a similarly dominating performance, besting famed Frenchwoman Anne-Caroline Chausson (Ibis) by 39 seconds. Chausson actually won the stage win battle 3-to-2. But just like Clementz, Moseley smoked the long and grueling stage 3, putting more than 38 seconds into her top rival.
"This was probably the hardest [Enduro World Series event] for me thus far," said Moseley, who is undefeated through four events and had a total time of 45:45:847 at Winter Park. "There was some bad weather, the high altitude and some very long days on the bike. I'm exhausted now."
For Chausson it was just a matter of getting back into the flow of things. The world's most decorated female downhill racer crashed at the first round of the Enduro World Series, breaking three ribs, which she says are still not completely healed. "This was a very long weekend with the stages and practice," she said. "But I needed that to start to get back in good shape."
Anneke Beerten (Specialized) rounded out the top three in the women's pro standings. Other notables included former XC racer Heather Irmiger (Trek Factory Racing) in sixth, Giant's Kelli Emmett in eighth, former cross-country national champion Sue Haywood in 15th, and cyclocross specialists Teal Stetson-Lee (Luna) and Julie Krasniak (Velo Vert) in 17th and 22nd respectively.
All told 216 riders from 12 countries competed in the five-stage, three-day event.


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text: The Single cup coffee maker has become just as popular as the single serve espresso maker. The difference being that instead of delivering a shot of espresso the single cup coffee maker pours an entire cup of regular coffee or tea. Just as easy, just insert a coffee pod or coffee capsule push a button and drink up!


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Supersized. Should this magnetar's massive parent have created a black hole instead?
Where's the black hole? That's what astronomers are asking as they gaze upon the burned-out remnant of a stellar explosion some 16,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Ara. The defunct star once held at least twice the mass necessary to create a black hole when it exploded as a supernova, yet somehow only an extremely magnetic, asteroid-sized object known as a magnetar remains.
When it comes to stars, astronomers like to say that mass is destiny. Relatively small objects like our sun can live up to 10 billion years before briefly expanding into red giants and then slowly dying as white dwarfs. Bigger stars with masses at least five times greater than the sun's have much shorter life spans—sometimes only a few hundred thousand years—and die spectacularly in huge explosions called supernovae. Current theory also suggests that if the doomed star holds less than 20 times the sun's mass, its explosive death should produce a small but extremely dense remnant called a neutron star. And if its mass tips the scale at 20 or more suns, the supernova should produce a black hole.
That's what makes the object astronomers have found so unusual. Like all magnetars, CXOU J164710.2-455216 is a rare kind of neutron star that for as-yet-unexplained reasons possesses the most powerful magnetic field in the universe. Yet according to detailed measurements of the relative motions of the surrounding stars, the team reports in an upcoming issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics, that like every neighboring star, the mass of the magnetar's progenitor must have been at least 40 times greater than the sun's. And thus it shouldn't be a magnetar at all, but a black hole.
So what's going on? Astronomer Kimberly Weaver of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, suggests that we look at CXOU J164710.2-455216's neighbors: "It's surrounded by Wolf-Rayet stars." These are giant blue stars that shine with the light of a million or more suns. All that intense radiation means "there is a ton of mass loss going on among this group," says Weaver, who was not involved in the study.
The characteristics of the surrounding stars suggest that although the magnetar's progenitor probably reached 40 solar masses at one point, it shed its mass so quickly that when the star exploded it fell under the 20-solar-mass limit, thereby creating a magnetar instead of a black hole—and conforming to current theory about stellar evolution. Even so, she adds, "the puzzle of how stars can lose so much mass so quickly is a big deal."
Astronomer Alan Marscher of Boston University agrees. It underscores how "our understanding of the evolution of the most massive stars is hampered by an incomplete knowledge of the processes by which [they] lose mass," he says. "That's why our estimates of the minimum mass [needed for] an isolated star that eventually becomes a black hole are fuzzy."


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Lucas Bagnell Varga LLC Secures $17.4 Million Award For Former Applied Biosystems Executives
Dec 06, 2012, 04:31 ET
SOUTHPORT, Conn., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association today awarded former executives of Applied Biosystems, Inc., f/k/a Perkin Elmer Corporation, $17.4 million in unpaid change in control benefits from Life Technologies Corporation, one of the world's largest biotechnology companies. (NASDAQ: LIFE). The case was presented to a former federal judge, former state judge and a senior member of the Connecticut Bar over a period of two years. According to the claim of the executives, the incentive compensation became due from Life Technologies Corporation when it assumed the obligations of the executives' employment agreements after acquiring Applied Biosystems, Inc. in November 2008. Life Technologies argued the executives were misreading their agreements and were not entitled to continued stock-based benefit awards.
In finding for the executives, the arbitration Panel held the agreements were breached as "the Company made no effort to provide [the claimed benefits], and the Claimants are entitled to them." "We are very pleased with the outcome, and are happy our clients will finally receive these sums which they earned and are long overdue," said Scott Lucas, lead trial counsel for the executives. "Consultants from Citrin Cooperman were instrumental in helping us present our clients' complex damages claim to the Panel," added Jeff Bagnell, who handled the damages aspect of the case at trial.
The executives were represented by Lucas Bagnell Varga LLC in Southport, Connecticut. Life Technologies was represented by DLA Piper.
Media Contact:
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SOURCE Lucas Bagnell Varga LLC


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Happy Christmas to everyone, with best wishes for family get togethers, warm sharing and an abundance of joy. In our high-tech and all too busy world, this is a time to enjoy the company of our scattered relatives, preferably in person but virtually when necessary.
Here is my favorite Christmas story, from my favorite author any time of the year.
Merry Christmas, Pigs!
By Edward Abbey, from Abbey's Road
Scrooge was right. What I like best about Christmas in the desert is the conspicuous absence of Christmas. By late December the cone-nosed humbugs are gone and all the horny elf toads retired into their burrows for the season. When somebody asks me what I think of Christmas (nobody ever does), I reply, "Not much." Easy to avoid it our here in the rocks.
Think about Ebeneezer Scrooge and Bobby Riggs, the twin patron saints of us middle-aged cryptoliberals. Cryptoliberal? Well, sure, why not? I have been called other names even worse. Misanthrope. Sexist. Elitist. Crank. Barbarian. Anarcho-syndicalist. Wild conservative. And my favorite, from a Maoist lady in New York–she called me a creeping Fascist hyena. Quite true, so far as it goes (you can't please everybody), but they forget to add that I am a pig lover too.
The pig I'm talking about is the one known also as a peccary or javelina, the wild pig of the Arizona desert; not a true pig exactly, according to zoologists, but a good approximation–a close relation. Close enough for me, and the javelina, commonly defined as a "wild pig-like animal," is the best kind of pig. Though that definition, come to think of it, is a shade too broad. Some of my best friends qualify as wild pig-like animals without half trying. But that's another issue. The fault of the permissive social atmosphere, the Bill of Rights, the general weakening of moral fibers everywhere you look.
Back to my topic: Christmas and pigs. Have you ever stood alone under the full moon in the prickly cholla-mesquite desert on the night before Christmas and found yourself surrounded by a herd of hungry, snuffling, anxiety-ridden javelinas? I have, and it's a problematic situation: some of those little fifty pound beasts carry tusks and have been known to charge a full-grown man right up the hairy trunk of a saguaro cactus. That's the story I've been told by old-timers around here.
In any case, this part is true: I was surrounded by javelinas while O'Ryan chased the Seven Sisters around the Big Bear and the moon looked kindly down. To say that I was nervous would have been an overexaggeration. Though unarmed and on foot, I was happy, at ease, and comfortably drunk.
The herd of javelinas was aware of my presence. The mind of a wild pig is unpredictable. These couldn't make up their minds whether to run or stay. After a while, since I made no move, they stayed. I could see them plain in the bright moonshine: parody pigs with oversized heads and undersized hams; each one bristly as a wire brush. They trotted from bush to bush and cactus to cactus, anxious restive fellows, all fits and starts, busy, busy, busy. I was accepted, but not welcome; they hoped I wouldn't stay. As I watched, I heard the sound of their vigorous jaws at work–a crunching of jojoba nuts, the munching of prickly pear. In all nature there's no sound more pleasing than a hungry animal at its feed. Ask any cattleman or farmboy.
Down by Aravaipa Creek I heard the barking of a fox. An owl called. Everybody out shopping for supper.
There was a good strong odor in the air, the rank and racy musk of half-alarmed javelinas. I like that smell, just as I enjoy the smell (at a comfortable distance) of skunk out looking for trouble. Associations: the wild tang of skunk brings back October nights, raccoons and baying hounds, the big woods and foggy hills of Old Pennsylvania. That smell means Arizona too; a border wolf, a desert bighorn, a mountain lion crouched on a ledge above the deer path in the chapparal. Good smells, good things, important, hard to find on Speedway in Tucson or Central Avenue up in Phoenix.
Now and then one of the larger javelinas, suffering from curiosity, would come close to me, sniff, advance, and retreat, trying to figure out exactly what this thing is that stands there like a bush that breathes but smells like Jim Beam, moves a little. Suspicious; from time to time, a ripple of panic passed through the herd like a wave through water. They knew something was wrong, but didn't know what. One minute they're on the point of exploding in all directions, pig fashion. A minute later they forget the danger, start feeding again.
Then what happened? An angel came down from the stars in a long white robe to give us a lecture on the meaning of Christmas? No. I'll admit I have a weakness for simple fact, even if it spoils the story. Maybe that's the main difference between a serious literary artist like me and one of your ordinary sports columnists, say, who writes for the newspaper. But I don't want to make any harsh judgments here; this is supposed to be the season of goodwill toward people. Sports columnists too. And wild pigs.
As my hero Ebeneezer says, if the spirit of Christmas is more than humbug then we're obliged to extend it to all creatures great and small including men, women, children, foreigners, Mexicans, coyotes, scorpions Gila monsters, snakes, centipedes, millipedes, termites and the wild pigs of the Arizona desert. That's the reason the Arizona Game and Fish Department puts off javelina season until January. Out of a decent respect for that annual outburst of love and goodwill we call Christmas.
As for the herd of javelinas snorting around me, the truth is, nothing much of anything happened. In fact, I got bored first, tired of simulating a saguaro cactus. I picked up a couple of rocks, in case one of those husky beasts with the tusks came at me, and tiptoed off through the prickly pear. I did not wish to disturb my friends, but they took alarm anyway, erupting in various directions. Would take them an hour to reassemble. None charged me. Despite many meetings with javelinas, I have yet to come eyeball to eyeball with one. Even though I've charged them a few times, out of meanness, just to see them run.
If I were good and hungry, would I eat a javelina? Yes. I'd roast its head in a pit of mesquite coals and scramble my eggs with its brains. I have no quarrel with any man who kills one of God's creatures in order to feed his women and children and old folks. Nothing could be more right and honorable, when the need is really there. I believe humanity made a serious mistake when our ancestors gave up the hunting and gathering life for agriculture and towns. That's when they invented the slave, the serf, the master, the commissar, the bureaucrat, the capitalist, and the five-star general. Wasn't it farming made a murderer of Cain? Nothing but trouble and grief ever since, with a few comforts thrown here and there, now and then, like bourbon and ice cubes and free beer on the Fourth of July, mainly to stretch out the misery.
Sermons aside, the javelinas and I parted company that moonlight night with no hard feelings, I hope, on either part. They had the whole east slope of Brandenburg Mountain to ramble over, and I had my cabin to crawl back into, where I keep my bearskin and this neurotic typewriter with a mind of its own. Christmas or no Christmas, it does my chilly Calvinist heart a lot of good to know those javelinas are still out there in the brush, pursuing happiness in their ancient piglike manner. What would Arizona be without a Game and Fish Department? Without a Sportsmen's Association? Hard to say. I wonder. But what would Arizona be without wild pigs? Why, no wonder at all. Arizona would be another poor, puny, poverty-struck antheap like California, not fit for man or his dog.
Happy Christmas, brothers and sisters.
Long live the weeds and the wilderness.
Merry New Year, pigs!


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Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
Our family recently experienced the death of my husbands step-father. When they married, my Step-Father-in-Law (SFIL) had 3 adult children, all adult/independent, and one dependent pre-teen child. My Mother-in-Law (MiL), also had 4 children, all of whom were independent adults when they married. MiL adopted SFiLs minor child, and they had a typical, loving mother-child relationship. They had been married for over 28 years when MiL died in 2016. Overall, the big, blended family did well. I believe my MiL was very instrumental in being the ambassador of blending 😊and it became apparent that FiL could sometimes show favoritism toward certain biological children and grandchildren (and be somewhat excluding toward others, even of his bio-children and grands). MiL seemed to try to be very fair toward all. I felt like we were particularly close to MiL & FiL because they were in pastoral ministry and so are we in fact, when we were young and had not been married very long, and first felt some kind of ministry calling, we did relocate (to their state) to help FiL with a church plant for 2.5 years, where we worked under his guidance in various positions in the church, before we moved back (to our home state) again for my husband to go thru ministry training and education. They taught us so much. Years later FiL asked my husband to take his pastoral position at his church when he began to prepare for retirement, but that was not the direction we felt led to go in and so we graciously declined. For years whenever FiL visited us and we visited them, each man would guest preach in the others church, including doing special services. FiLs 2nd son, who became his caregiver when MiL died, was with them at our ministry graduation, and I had always felt there was a mutual support, affection, and respect among us all. It seemed like it.
FiL had a long slow decline in health over the years; MiL was his caregiver when she died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 2016. FiL had some episodes of dementia and confusion, mainly due prescribed medicine interacting and causing mental disorientation, which included him making some unfounded claims toward family and medical professionals, which were immediately debunked, and the medicines adjusted or stopped. One Thanksgiving he claimed that MiL was mistreating him; and this was escalated by a histrionic SiL who was visiting and clueless when it came to aging people, and dementia and drug interactions. Very soon this assertion was cleared up many relatives and friends that daily visited their home, another DiL lives across the street, and his 2nd Son lives nearby and visited almost daily to help. FiL claimed MiL was conspiring with my young adult son (their grandchild) against him, (our son had lived with them for a time), I think I even sought advice here for that situation. About a year ago, one relative called him during a hospital stay, and FiL was claiming that the staff had left him stuck on a portable toilet for 12 hours, which clearly was corrected by one of his children who was there visiting him at that time! They verified he was on the pot for a typical amount of time, they had left the room for 10-20 minutes while the staff assisted him. They had been visiting and talking together throughout that day and several others! There were other smaller instances of FiL having periodic episodes, maybe 2-3 per year, when there was a medicine change he had many health problems and was hospitalized several times a year, he had lung disease, diabetes, and had several bypass surgeries over the years. His lung and diabetes problems resulted in mobility issues. He had a toe amputated.
I thought that we had always had an overall amicable relationship with the blended family. When MiL died and FiLs 2nd son took over caregiving duties, we were as supportive as we could be from afar (we live in another state). When we visited my husband who is also a contractor would fix anything they needed a porch, laid new carpet, minor bathroom and kitchen plumbing, things, and most often used our own money. We sent caregiving 2nd Son gift cards and thank you notes, offered to pitch in with other siblings to pay for a housekeeping service. After MiL died, one negative thing that did happen is that a rumor began to drift around the family that MiL had spent a large part of their inheritance on our son that had lived with them for a time. We put a stop to it, showing our own cancelled checks, where we had sent MiL and FiL money regularly for our sons room & board, and how we reimbursed promptly when MiL put out money for large expenses, like when our son needed tires. During the time he lived with them, about a year, we sent them a little less than $10K. There was no money missing or spent by them other than what they spent on themselves.
When it came time for the funeral neither my husband nor our young adult son was asked to participate in any way. Not as a pall-bearer, not to read a scripture. All of the bio siblings were noticeably chilly, but at first I attributed to sadness, they lost their Dad, you know? But now I am not sure. All of my FiLs other children and step-children had some kind of representation and participation for example our one nephew sang a song, our other nephews, and brothers and step-brothers were pall-bearers, so that each of the children and step children had someone representing, EXCEPT my husband. FiLs biological children were in charge as well as his pastor, who also knows my husband and all the family well.
I am trying to understand that their grieving may have contributed to an oversight, but this feels like more than an oversight, it feels like an intentional exclusion. I explained the things about the false claims and the rumor about our son, here to "you" because they are the only thing that I can think of that may have caused them to exclude our part of the family, and we thought that was settled a year ago, perhaps they believe the rumors and the dementia inspired claims.
Do you think I should speak to the my FiLs pastor to ask why? Do you think I should ask caregiving 2nd son/BiL, who is in charge about this? I dont want to add to his grief, or make this about us when he/they are closer to the pain, so to speak, but this hurts.
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
I'm sorry for your loss.
My thought is that death and funerals bring out so much unintentionally poor behavior from people. Nobody is really thinking clearly at the time, and it is very easy to make plans ("we need eight pallbearers" "SFIL loved Johnny's voice so he should sing") without doing an inventory of who was asked and who wasn't asked. At my father's funeral, my brother and oldest sister gave eulogies while my other sister and I were excluded for who-knows-what reason.
So my first question would be - how does your DH feel about it? Was he hurt?
My second question would be - is everyone being treated fairly under the will?
If your DH was not hurt, and everyone is being treated fairly, it would be harmful to start launching accusations.
If your DH was hurt, I'd have HIM go to the pastor and ask if he knew of any reason he'd be excluded. You don't want to approach in an angry or hurt way (because you can't change what happened) but rather in a "have we done something wrong that we can fix" way, since the family has a history of starting harmful rumors.
Expecto Patronum!
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
And thank you.
The will is supposed to be fair - sell everything and divide equally among 8 kids. But already there are rumors and even factual comments like this going thru the family: SFiL's 1st son was given his 'like new' Harley Davidson motorcycle a year ago (true), SFiL's youngest child and their spouse (the one MiL adopted) were given ?thoudsand$ to start their business 4 years ago (unproven, but likely); SFiL gave his daughter MiL's mink coat recently (the coat is gone and nobody is saying anything). 2nd Son/caregiver has a troubled son who was actually caught stealing and pawning MiL's jewelry on 2 occasions, and after she died in 2016 none of it was ever located, some of it was recovered, some was not. There was also a woman form their church, a homeless addict they were trying to help, that stole jewelry from her. She had hid the recovered jewelry and kept it hidden, and while in the hospital, right before she died, she told my DH and his older sis where to find it, but it was gone. The funny thing about my MiL was that she loved wearing CZ jewelry, though they were set in 14k gold, therefore many people thought she had many diamonds, but she only had a few genuine diamond pieces, she really thought that real diamonds were not a wise way to spend her and her FiL's money. Wow, this sounds like a soap opera when I write it all out. But it does not sound fair, because the scales are clearly tipped toward SFiL's bio family. Neither my husband, nor his siblings have received anything of value comparable to those items which are several thousand - 10K in range. :-( We have love and memories and those are priceless.
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
I got nothin' other than ((((hugs))))
once burned, twice shy
He who ignores history is condemed to repeat it!
(it also means you weren't smart enough to learn from your mistakes )
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
Well, it's been a few weeks and I have to say, airing my concerns here and your feedback help. I don't feel such a fresh hurt over it all anymore. I feel like just letting it all go, and realizing that it may be best to let these ties quietly unravel and let go of them.
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
I find myself thinking about our family (DH's step sibs), and wondering how they are getting on, keeping them in prayer and so forth. I no longer feel hurt or stung by the "snubbing" I first described, and my DH does not either. I think we all realize it was raw emotions. I know when my own Dad passed many years back, how emotional and challenging it was, I appreciated the folks who checked up on me from time to time.
What I am sort of confused about now is whether or not I should reach out to them, or just quietly let things like contact just drift down to nothing? A "thinking of you" text to one went unanswered, so probably not good to persist, you think?
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
Well, how would you feel about reaching out to them and not expecting a response? That's what I'd do. I frequently send "thinking of you" texts hoping to brighten someone's day and leave it there, not expecting a response. (Of course, it brightens my day when I get one, but I never expect one).
"Thinking of you" texts and Christmas cards, etc. with no whining about "we miss you, we want to see you" or reciprocity will, imo, bring them warm thoughts about you.
Expecto Patronum!
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
Re: Were We Snubbed at StepFiL's Funeral?
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Healthy Copycat Recipes for Your Favorite Creamy Soups
Creamy usually means loaded with calories. Not these healthy creamy soup recipes! With a few healthy cooking tricks, you can have a creamy soup that's rich and comforting but way better for you. Try these healthy recipe makeovers for favorites like clam chowder, cream of mushroom soup and creamy bisque.


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The Industry match-up reports analyse the risk situation/outlook in one industry for countries which are paired together in the Euro 2016 tournament.
Ranking the credit risk situation
The Industry match-up reports will be available for selected matches and they will analyse the risk situation/business performance outlook in one industry for countries which are paired together in the actual football tournament. We will also provide a score, ranking the risk situation/outlook for the analysed industry from one ball (very poor) to five balls (very good).
We are covering 14 matches in the Group stage with an Industry match-up report:
- France versus Romania - Construction Outlook
- Wales versus Slovakia - Automotive Outlook
- England versus Russia – Electronics/ICT Outlook
- Spain versus Czech Republic – Chemicals Outlook
- Belgium versus Italy – Machines Outlook
- Austria versus Hungary – Food Outlook
- Germany versus Poland – Construction Outlook
- Spain versus Turkey – Automotive Outlook
- Belgium versus Ireland – Food Outlook
- Switzerland versus France – Pharmaceuticals Outlook
- Slovakia versus England – Chemicals Outlook
- Northern Ireland versus Germany – Food Outlook
- Czech Republic versus Turkey – Machinery Outlook
- Italy versus Ireland – Chemicals Outlook
After readers have updated their knowledge on the sector and Atradius risk outlook score for the matched-up countries, they are invited to play the Atradius 2016 European Football Championship, a football pool where participants can submit their anticipated scores for the European Championship football matches. The scores, of course, have to be submitted before the start of the games. The participants with the highest point total at the end of the tournament can select a prize from the Euro 2016 shop (excluding Memorabilia).
The pool is open to Atradius customers, brokers, agents, partners, prospects and staff who are residents of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and United States of America.


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Late on Saturday morning, in true African time, a ramrod Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a flinty speech that was not only a preamble to the African National Congress's verdict on youth league leader Julius Malema, but a warning sign to the rest of the party: ill-discipline will not be tolerated. By upholding the guilty verdict, the national disciplinary committee of appeals stripped Malema of his power and with no real support outside of the ANC Youth League structures, and with the tax collector, public protector, and Special Investigating Unit closing in on him, it would take a miracle of biblical proportions to resurrect this cadre's political career from the tomb it's been chucked in.
But was the ANC's decision disciplining or silencing the ANC Youth League?
Before Julius Malema entered the political scene, there was very little public discourse on the acute socio-economic issues faced by a growing number of young South Africans today. After 18 years of political freedom, more than half of South Africans under the age of 25 remain unemployed – among the highest jobless rates in the world. Many live idly with few prospects of ever being employed. The promise of education as the gateway to a better life remains questionable on a good day, as too few are able to meet the requirements necessary to enter into higher education institutions. For those who do qualify for university admission, the competition for a place in a university has intensified, as the country simply does not have enough institutions of higher learning. The bulk of South Africa's youth has been relegated to front row seats to watch a small portion of the country live Mandela's dream.
Malema's political career may have been short-lived, but the issues that gave rise to his popularity continue to plague the country. Despite Malema not being the preferred candidate for the role of vanguard for the poor, there is concern that the ANC used its disciplinary processes to shut down the debate on nationalisation of mines in South Africa, rather than enforcing discipline within its ranks.
The ANC was forced to investigate nationalisation as a possible alternative policy largely because of the pressure exerted by the league. Since 1994, the ANC has generally leaned toward mainstream growth development models supplemented by welfare and job creation initiatives as the main strategy to improve socio-economic conditions. Adam Smith's promise of a trickling down of wealth has, however, failed in South Africa just as we've seen it fail in more "developed" economies. Like their global counterparts, ordinary South Africans are no longer buying into capitalists' solution and are ready to hear alternatives.
Albeit badly handled, the nationalisation debate was the first time that a larger portion of the country took part in a national discussion on the economic path that South Africa is on. Serious questions were raised on the efficacy of current policies, and even though it was from structures within the ANC, the debate was youth-driven. It was not a sexy or nation-building topic, and it was bound to make those in the wealthier classes uncomfortable, but it was a natural next step for a country whose citizens had been cordial to each other for too long, afraid to ask the difficult questions about the inequitable status quo.
Malema's call for nationalisation of mines and banks and expropriation of land, although not on the official charge sheet, until this morning, was seen by many to be the real reason why the ANC acted firmly and decisively against the ANC Youth League leadership. Capitalists who had popped champagne at the young leader's downfall were forced to spit their Moet back in the bottle when the ANC's secretary general Gwede Mantashe announced at a press conference in Luthuli House on Monday, that nationalisation was "not a Malema issue, but an ANC issue". The ANC may have been seeking to reassure its youth members in particular that the decisive actions taken against the ANCYL president were not meant to close the discussion on alternative economic policies for development. However, the nationalisation debate is back in the corridors of Luthuli House and no longer encouraged for robust public debate.
If this was a move by the ANC to shut down dissenting opinion on economic policy, it is not a wise one, because South Africa's youth will not go hungry indefinitely. Political and economic decisions cannot continue to be made far from the prying eyes of those who are expected to religiously vote for the ANC while accepting all its decisions without question.
More broadly, South Africans must accept that the honeymoon phase of the rainbow nation's marriage is over. The Malema-induced fear that engulfed the wealthier classes is also a reflection of a nation that does not trust the strength of the democratic institutions in the country. Celebrating Malema's demise simply because he made certain classes uncomfortable is not a win for our young democracy. If South Africa is to move toward a meaningful democratic and economic solution for all its citizens, there must be better engagement on difficult discussions required to move the country forward between people from different social and economic backgrounds.
Once the dust clears and wounds heal, the ANCYL will have to pick a new leader to carry its cause to the Mangaung conference. There's already growing speculation that Ronald Lamola may be the next leader, a man described by a Mail & Guardian source as "more aggressive than Julius [Malema] and … without the abrasiveness". It's still early to tell whether a new boogie man is being created or whether, if elected, the lawyer will better articulate the youth message without the distractions from questionable lifestyle choices. What is clear is that Malema's political career may be buried, but the issues remain unaddressed.
As South Africans, we assume that our society is stable, developed, and incapable of the kinds of outbreaks that occurred in North Africa early last year. But the recurring xenophobic attacks and the violence of service delivery protests should be a signal that there is still much for this country to resolve. If there is indeed truth to the saying that "democracy lives in the ANC", it would not be in South Africa's best interest for the ANC to muffle its youth.


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It's an even thinner week than usual for new movies on home video, but there is a neo-noir classic, a cult favorite and some interesting choices for music fans, including the "true story" behind the death of Paul McCartney in 1966.
"Harry Brown" (2010)
Michael Caine stars in this modern-day "Death Wish" as an elderly veteran who reaches his breaking point when some thugs kill his best friend. Caine was once a world-class tough guy -- see: "Get Carter," "Gambit" -- and shows he's still got it. "Harry Brown" also features a stomach-churning turn by Sean Harris as a gun-selling, heroin-shooting pimp. We didn't love it, but it's definitely home-viewing worthy. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer
"Marmaduke" (2010)
Stars Lee Pace and Judy Greer, two talented and likable actors who deserve far better, and the voices of Owen Wilson, George Lopez and Fergie. We never saw it, but from time to time when folks in the office are in a funk, we fire up the trailer.
On DVD and Blu-ray, go ahead, watch the trailer, we dare you
"Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too" (2010)
Four couples go on their annual vacation, but the good times are interrupted by the arrival of an ex-husband determined to win back his former wife. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer
"Red Riding Trilogy" (2010)
From Britain's Channel 4 comes this three-part adaptation of David Peace's novel chronicling a decade of horrifying abuse by the Yorkshire Police Department. Stars Andrew Garfield, Rebecca Hall, Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Sean Harris and Paddy Considine. On Blu-ray and DVD, read our review and watch the trailer
"Evil Dead" (1983)
The film that put writer-director Sam Raimi on the map, stars Bruce Campbell as one of five friends spending the night in a cabin in the woods of Michigan who unwittingly unleash demons. A classic. On Blu-ray, watch the trailer
"Carnivorous" (2008)
This 2008 horror film starring the rapper DMX and originally called "Lockjaw: Rise of the Kulev Serpent," is about some voodoo demon that eats people. As DMX say in the trailer, "The only thing you have to look forward to is the stomach acid." On Blu-ray, watch the trailer
"Legends of the Canyon: Classic Artists" (2009)
A documentary chronicling the rise of Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt and other inhabitants of Laurel Canyon in the '60s. On DVD, watch the trailer
"Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison" (2010)
This film claims to blow the lid off the real story behind the secret death in 1966 of Paul McCartney and the MI5's involvement in covering it up, as allegedly told by -- wait for it -- George Harrison! Unquestionably an utter piece of rubbish, but it sure sounds like fun. On DVD, watch the trailer
"Jane's Addiction: Live Voodoo" (2009)
Filmed live Halloween Night 2009, features the line-up we all knew and loved as kids: Perry Farrell (vocals), Stephen Perkins (drums), Eric Avery (bass) and Dave Navarro (guitar), doing a set-list taken mostly from the first two albums. On Blu-ray, watch the band play "Stop"
"Thriller: The Complete Series" (1962)
All 67 episodes of the acclaimed "Twilight Zone"-esque anthology series hosted by Boris Karloff that ran from 1960 to 1962 and featured such future stars as William Shatner, Richard Chamberlain, Rip Torn, Leslie Nielsen, Elizabeth Montgomery, Warren Oates, Robert Vaughn, and Marlo Thomas. On DVD, watch a clip


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Healthy Forests Reserve Program
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The Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private lands through easements and financial assistance. HRFP aids the recovery of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, improves plant and animal biodiversity and enhances carbon sequestration.
The new HFRP expands the eligibility of acreage owned by Indian tribes.
NRCS amended the HFRP regulation in 7CFR, See the changes in the Final Rule for Changes to Existing Programs on the Federal Register website.
HFRP provides landowners with 10-year restoration agreements and 30-year or permanent easements for specific conservation actions. For acreage owned by an Indian tribe, there is an additional enrollment option of a 30-year contract. Some landowners may avoid regulatory restrictions under the Endangered Species Act by restoring or improving habitat on their land for a specified period of time.
HFRP applicants must provide proof of ownership, or an operator (tenant) must provide written concurrence from the landowner of tenancy for the period of the HFRP restoration agreement in order to be eligible. Land enrolled in HFRP easements must be privately owned or owned by Indian tribes and restore, enhance or measurably increase the recovery of threatened or endangered species, improve biological diversity or increase carbon storage.
Land enrolled in HFRP easements - must be privately owned or owned by Indian tribes and restore, enhance or measureably increase the recovery of threatened or endangered species, improve biological diversity or increase carbon storage.
Visit your local USDA Service Center to apply or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted.
HFRP Fact Sheet (PDF, 2.8MB)
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Policy and Links| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov


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Our simple, yet stylish Tiny Bee ring will easily match any outfit. Made of Sterling Silver and plated with 18-carat Yellow Gold, this subtle ring can be worn together with Tiny Hexagon Charm and Honeycomb Stacking Rings for an extra impact.
Material: 18ct Gold Plated Sterling Silver 925
The bee measures 1cm/0.4" (height) by 1.3cm/0.5" (width).
Matching pendant, bracelet and earrings available.
Caring for your jewellery ensures a great everlasting look. We advise you to follow the below tips on how to care for your Magpie's Loot jewellery, so it will look as charming as the day you received it.
We recommend all our jewellery not to be worn when showering or exercising. Preventing it from getting wet and keeping it away from harsh chemicals, lotions, perfumes and saltwater will ensure its lasting quality. Avoid wearing your jewellery at night and remove it for sports and water activities. In order to clean rub gently and very occasionally with a lint-free cloth. We recommend that you store your jewellery in the original box, away from direct sunlight and heat. Please note that extra care should be taken in case of Gold Vermeil, which if neglected may start fading with time.
For more information visit our Jewellery Care page.
FREE UK Delivery (Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For).
UK Delivery within 2-4 working days.
(Please note: Free UK Delivery may be suspended for the duration of certain sales and promotions. In that event we will charge the usual Royal Mail fee of £2.10).
FREE Next Working Day UK Delivery on orders over £100, otherwise £3.50 (Tracked).
Orders must be placed by 1pm to be eligible.
FREE International Delivery on orders over £100, otherwise £5.50 (Tracked & Signed)
European Delivery within 3-7 and International Delivery within 5-10 working days.
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your online purchase and would like to return the item for a refund (excluding earrings for hygiene reasons), please return the item to us within 28 days of receipt of your purchase.
For more information visit Delivery or Returns Policy.
We donate £1 for every jewellery piece sold from our Honeycomb Collection to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, an organisation which does vital work to halt and reverse dramatic declines in the UK's bumblebee population. The bumblebees play an essential role in the pollination of crops for food as well as wildflowers, but unfortunately more and more species are threatened with national extinction in the UK.
"There is one masterpiece, the hexagonal cell, that touches perfection.
No living creature, not even man, has achieved, in the centre of his sphere, what the bee has achieved in her own: and were someone from another world to descend and ask of the earth the most perfect creation of the logic of life, we should needs have to offer the humble comb of honey."
- Maurice Maeterlinck, The Life Of The Bee, 1924
The most characteristic feature of the Honeycomb Collection is the unique shape of the gems that embellish our jewellery designs. Our signature hexagonal cut is very rare among classic gemstone cuts. For this reason all the stones have to be custom cut, giving each and every piece in the collection a distinctive look.
The concept for our very first collection was conceived in the summer 2014, shortly after Francesca, the founder of Magpie's Loot, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl called Maya (Maya the Bee, you guessed it right;)
With the initial idea in mind she approached her partner Martin, an illustrator and printmaker, who then designed the core elements of the collection – the signature hexagonal cell, tiny bee charm and the beautiful bumblebee. Using these three key elements Francesca was able to create an astounding ensemble of seventy original pieces of jewellery, which today form the Honeycomb Collection.


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Sonic the Hedgehog's Green Hill Zone track is the pinnacle of upbeat, energetic video game music, enthusiastically propelling the player headlong into a fantastic adventure. Slow it down, however, and it's something straight out of an experimental horror film.
This video, upped by Rob Crossley over at CVG, grants us insight into the motivation behind Sonic's never-ending quest for speed. Should he slow down for even a moment, this is what happens. This is the sound of the Elder Gods' return, discordant bells tolling off the coast of New England as the seas bubble and boil. The air turns poisonous, the crops crumble to dust.
Sanity is slipping away. Doo-doo-dee-doo-doo-do-do-do.


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A collaboration with StoryCorps Chicago
The Chicago Artists Resource has teamed up with StoryCorps Chicago to bring you "Conversations with CAR". Through this collaboration with StoryCorps, the Chicago Artists Resource interviews Chicago-based artists about their personal experiences and their impact on their creative practice.
This week's featured artist is Andrea Newberry.
Andrea Newberry is the founder of Leche Libre, an urban brand of apparel which empowers women to confidently breastfeed in public. She is a stay-at-home mom turned self-taught fashion entrepreneur. She lives and works out of a funky two-flat in Logan Square with her husband and her kiddos, six-year-old Thora and four-year-old Otto. Her work is inspired by her dedication to make mom's lives easier and fueled by her rebellious punk rock aesthetic. When she is not working, you can find her biking around Chicago with her kids in tow, wreaking havoc and having a blast
Upcoming Events
Check out the Leche Libre Kickstarter to help fund their next collection.


text: I am a nonnative speaker of English, but I am a naturalized citizen (or permanent resident) of the U.S. Do I have to take the ELPT or ILC classes? Yes, unless you qualify for an exemption on the basis of other factors (see below). Citizenship and residency are not relevant in determining who is eligible for the ELPT and/or ILC classes. I have been placed in an ILC course. How much will it cost? The cost of ILC courses is a flat rate of $910 per 4-hour class. The cost does not vary across student status or residency. I have taken English language courses (Intensive English and/or English as a Second Language) at another institution in the U.S. Do I have to take the ELPT or ILC classes? Yes. Even if you have taken courses in an English as a Second Language program at another university, you will need to take the ELPT. English language requirements vary among institutions in the U.S. Therefore, to ensure that your language skills are sufficiently high to provide you optimum access to your educational experience at UAH, the university requires that all non-native speakers of English take the placement test. Of course, you may or may not have to take ILC classes. That decision will be made based on the results of your ELPT. How can I waive the ELPT and/or ILC courses? You may be waived from ILC classes if you: graduated from a U.S. high school with at least two years of education in the U.S. graduated from an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. with a bachelor's or master's degree have TOEFL (iBT): all sub-scores equal to or greater than 18 OR IELTS: all sub-scores equal to or greater than 6.0 If you have additional questions regarding exemption from the ELPT and ILC classes, please email the director of ILC at email@example.com. I have completed the equivalent of the freshman composition classes at another institution (EH101 and EH102). Do I have to take the ELPT or ILC classes? You may be required to take the oral/aural classes (ILC 050-01 and ILC 050-02). Unless you have met the waiver requirements for those classes (via IELTS or TOEFL), you will need to do the listening and interview portions of the ELPT. I have a degree from a U.S. college or university. Do I have to take the ELPT or ILC classes? If your degree is from an accredited four-year institution in the U.S., you are not required to take the ELPT or ILC classes. However, confirm your status with Enrollment Services (if you are an undergraduate student) or with the Graduate School (if you are a graduate student). I am an undergraduate student. Do I have to complete all of my ILC courses before registering for the Freshman Composition sequence? If you are placed in ILC 050-03 (Reading) or ILC 050-04 (Writing), you must complete those classes before registering for Freshman Composition (EH 101S or EH 101). Note that most students who are initially placed in ILC classes are placed in EH 101S, instead of EH 101. Who should I contact if I have other questions about ILC at UAH? If you have questions about ILC at UAH, please contact the director of ILC at email@example.com.


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trying againSunday, January 24th, 2010
Ok, hopefully this time it will work for real. We're still trying to get the permalinks to work (wordpress and typepad have slightly different default structures), but you can always try the search box in the sidebar. Update: I think they're working. If you run into any broken links, please let me know.
Other than the conversion issues, I've been very impressed with WordPress — if I were starting a new blog now, I would definitely go with WordPress.com for free hosted blogs with nearly all the functionality that TypePad charges for. (The only thing I found was that you can't have ads on wordpress.com, and you do need to pay for custom domains.)
In case anyone was wondering, the main issue was that Web.com, which is the hosting company T was using because they bought up his previous provider, doesn't actually support multiple domains/sites on a single account unless you go to their much more expensive line. We switched to InMotion Hosting and did in an afternoon what we had wasted hours upon hours trying to do previously. Obviously, web.com can charge what they want, but it's maddening that none of their customer service agents could tell us what the problem was. If they had just said "you can't do that with this account," we'd have been fine. But instead they kept on telling us the problem was with GoDaddy (where my domain is registered) or that we hadn't given the change enough time to propagate. They've got terrible online reviews, and deservedly so. A secondary issue, of interest only to others who are switching from Typepad to another site, is that you need to turn domain mapping off from the premium site, as there's no way to do it from the free site. I assumed that downgrading to the free version (which doesn't support domain mapping) would do it automatically, but that's not the case.


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This is the tallest tower in Amegakure and was also Pain's base of operations. It has four humanoid faces at each side and is connected to two smaller towers.[1] The tongue of the face that Pain sat on, looking out over the city has Rinnegan-like eye patterns and is depicted with a pipe and has piercings, with its tongue stuck out. Somewhere inside is a chamber hidden behind a solid wall where the Six Paths of Pain's bodies are stored when not in use. At the base of the tower, members of Pain's forces deliver bodies. Its height allows Nagato to transmit chakra signals to the Paths regardless of their position in the city.
The tower also houses a morgue, enabling Nagato to easily replace his Paths in the event a body was rendered unusable.
- During the Akatsuki Suppression Mission, the tower is depicted with a kimono.[2] Later on, however, it was illustrated without it.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Colucci Playground
Florence Colucci Playground
This playground is named for community activist Florence Colucci (1921-1982), a resident of Pelham Bay for more than 38 years who worked tirelessly on behalf of her neighborhood. Born in Shrub Oak, New York, Colucci founded and presided over the Pelham Bay Taxpayers and Civic Association, the first organization of its kind in the Bronx. Colucci served as a member of Community Board #10, as chairperson of the Northeast Bronx Committee for Neighborhood Schools, and she was active in the Ladies Auxiliary of various veterans organizations and in several charitable organizations -- including the Cancer Fund, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the March of Dimes. Through her weekly column in the local newspaper The News Sentinel, Colucci also became known as "The Voice of Pelham Bay."
One of Colucci's community efforts centered on lobbying for the construction of a multipurpose playground on this lot, which some had proposed to turn into a homeless shelter. When the park was built in 1969, it was unofficially dedicated to Colucci by Mayor John V. Lindsay (1921- 2000), who saluted her efforts to transform what was a vacant lot into this parkland. Six months after her death in 1983, the City Council passed a local law naming the playground in her honor.
Florence Colucci Playground is bounded by Wilkinson Avenue, Mayflower Avenue and the Hutchinson River Parkway. Wilkinson Avenue is named for Robert and Ellen Wilkinson, former owners of a 16-acre estate on Westchester Avenue. What was originally Mapes Avenue, named for the Mapes farm, became Mayflower Avenue in 1898 to mesh with the early American flavor of other streets in the area such as Pilgrim, Puritan, and Plymouth Avenues. The Hutchinson River Parkway runs parallel to the Hutchinson River, which is named for the region's earliest known settler, Ann Hutchinson (1591-1643), a religious leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who was slain by Native Americans.
Parks acquired this property through condemnation on March 31, 1938. In 1995, the playground was reconstructed as part of the Neighborhood Parks Improvement Program. The renovation included the installation of new play equipment, basketball backboards, benches, game tables, picnic tables, drinking fountains, spray showers, and a complete rebuilding of the playground's infrastructure. Each year in June, neighboring schools celebrate their field days here, and throughout the summertime, the Police Athletic League uses the park as a venue for its programs.


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Book – Maia may have been an emperor's son, but he never expected to amount to anything. His older brother was the heir, after all, and Maia had been exiled from court when his mother died, so the chances of Maia ever leaving the backwater estate he's grown up in are small. But when the Emperor – along with all of his other heirs – die in an airship crash, Maia is the only one left, and he will have to learn everything there is to know about the court before he suffers the same fate as his father.
Katherine Addison is the new pen-name of Sarah Monette, who I've already written about as one of my favorite authors. With The Goblin Emperor she switches gears from the dark, emotionally fraught stories she's known for to a more optimistic mood. Maia has a hard life, but he does well in it, gaining confidence by leaps and bounds as the story progresses. This is a coming-of-age story that starts where most leave off (usually becoming Emperor is the reward at the end of the quest) and it's an extremely satisfying one. I'm happy to call this already one of the best fantasy books of the year.


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Contrary to what the desciption says it's not only damage from monsters that fails this, but any damage (absorbed or not)
Turn on your combat log to show Stuff that has happened to you, and choose a tanky companion.
Protector Yi is rather charge happy and tends to add loads and loads of mobs, so I personally prefer Chao the Voice, who doesn't have nearly the survivability but tanks just as well.
Some short tips:
The Gai-Cho Earthtalkers should be avoided at any cost. The cast an instant earthquake that is pretty much unvaoidable.
The Yaungol have a charge, that they only use on targets outside of the minimum range.The safest way to do this quest is to throw explosives from "The Enemy of My Enemy... Is Still My Enemy!" at the three groups up the slope to the village. It takes some time but it's safe.
Cheng Bo! was the hardest one for me personally. He has two instantly respawning adds, one of them an Earthtalker. So if you don't have CC you should wait for somemone else to come along and simply let them kill him, after you tagged him once and ran away.
The others are pretty standard. Just be careful to run out of stuff and don't add additional packs.


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Miami, the Life of the Winter Meeting Party + Baseball Fever, Catch it from Someone You Love!
So, how about those winter meetings? The agenda could be duller than a long Friday night in folding laundry and they would still seem pretty darned exciting at this point, mostly thanks to Florida…er…I mean Miami. Miami at the moment reminds me of that lightweight drinker who has overindulged beyond their usual prudent amount and suddenly finds themselves the life of the party. You're thrilled that they have acquired a few missing pieces…er…learned that they do in fact love tequila. You want them to be competitive again…that is, to have a great time. But you can see the potential for hangover growing by the minute and if it hits this one is going to be uh-uh-gly…er…oh, wait. Nevermind. That one works for both analogies. 😉
And, while we're on the party analogy, has anyone seen our escort? He brought us that lovely tropical drink – something catcher? – a little while ago and then left to get us another, but we can't seem to see him in the crowd at the moment. Oh well, no matter. We're feeling happy – no complaints. This is an awfully fun party and I'm sure he'll turn up eventually with a big swingin' bat or two (If there is no such drink, I swear I will make one up with spice infused bourbon to get some nice wood notes and other tasties!) or maybe even a pitcher of something. Oh, we can wait for that and even enjoy the waiting.
Editor's Note/Update: Ummm…not so sure about some of the current rumored beverage offerings. I enjoy rum and Texas tea…but not in those quntities/for those contracts. Yikes!
* * * * *
My husband and I often joke that baseball fever is, how shall we say? Ah yes, a social disease. (Gee Officer Krupke!) It's the only explanation for the speed with which two sworn non baseball fan friends acquired the disease once they started dating a baseball fan and the wondrous virulence of their lasting symptoms. It also explains why all of our other friends, non baseball fans in committed relationships with one another, will never catch the fever. Hey, baseball fans out there in love with non baseball fans. Wouldn't it be great if it actually worked that way?
Anyway, my husband is a great baseball fan. But the true fanaticism is a newer thing, something that grew parallel to my returning fanaticism when my own baseball fever joyfully relapsed after way too long a remission. I like to think I helped him a little bit with that. He already definitely knew the rules and some of the strategies, players and such. But I got to teach him the finer points, or at least be there when he picked them up on his own and it's been an incredibly fun journey. He is not as big a dork as I am, yet, but he's getting there.
Coming home from work the other day, I walked in on him ranting at Hot Stove. That's not an intangible. You can absolutely measure that. It's called Wins. Above. Replacement. He snarked and tossed the remote on the sofa in amused disgust.
Wow, I laughed appreciatively. Look at you!
Seth paused, looked at me, laughed and said. It's a social disease.


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What would bring out the savage id of a sweet-natured Thai #girl ? The answer's in smarturl.it/lily-amz?IQid=… rt @owen_author #ASMSG #bangkok
What would bring out the savage id of a sweet-natu…Published by Owen on March 4th, 2015 03:00 PM | General
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Come join us for the most "dangerous" art session around.
April 17th from 2-4pm at Gangplank we will be hosting a learn to tattoo event for kids 8 and older. Artists Nate "Nasty Nate" Houtz, Adam "A-Bomb" Molina and Johnny "Jevvy Jev" from Tabü Tattoos will be on hand to go over the equipment, keeping things sterile, stenciling and much more.
This is a hands on event. The kids will be tattooing grapefruit, oranges and any other citrus we can get our hands on with REAL tattoo machines, ink and needles. For those that want to take it to the next level several Gangplank Jr supporters have even offered up their skin for actual tattoos from the new apprentices.
You must RSVP for this event as space and machines will be limited. Please leave a comment below if you plan on attending.


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A full trailer for Skyfall has been released, and it looks like Bond is back in a big way. Anyone who was disappointed by Quantum of Solace (about 90% of the population, myself included), will likely be back on board with director Sam Mendes' take on the franchise. The upcoming flick looks like it has everything audiences want from a James Bond picture: style, big set pieces, sex, and more style. Mendes looks like he knows what sets Bond apart from other action stars and taken full advantage of it. If you've been let down by the majority of this summer's action movies, there may be an excellent one this November.
Hit the jump to check out the trailer. The film stars The film stars Daniel Craig, Bérénice Marlohe, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes, and Javier Bardem. Skyfall opens November 9th. [Update: We have now added the equally bad-ass international trailer, which contains footage that's not in the new domestic trailer; specifically, it has a little bit more of Javier Bardem's terrifying villain]
Click over to Yahoo! Movies to see the trailer in HD.
Via HeyUGuys:
Here's the official synopsis for Skyfall:
Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.


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May 16, 2013
LAWT Wire Service
The California African American Museum (CAAM) will celebrate National Children's Book Week with the literacy event Heads are Turning, Children are Learning on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Event co-hosts include actor Thomas Hobson of The Fresh Beat Band; actress Niketa Calame of The Lion King (animation); and actor Donis Leonard, Jr. from Showtime's House of Lies.
During the literary event, renowned children's author and illustrator Kadir Nelson will be on hand and several noted celebrities will read from his books. Participating celebrities who will read to children on the main stage in CAAM's Courtyard including actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who will read from Nelson's book "Nelson Mandela" and actress Deidrie Henry, who will read from Nelson's book about Michael Jordan "Salt in His Shoes." In addition, actress and choreographer Debbie Allen will read from her book "Dancing in the Wings."
Many local authors will also read from their books including Bunny Hull, Quentin Holmes, Cassadra Black, A.K. Usafi, Lesley A. Anderson and Calida Garcia Rawles. Local authors will read in the CAAM galleries. Other activities include live performances, art workshops and face painting. Also there will be book, poster and art-kit giveaways. In addition, Eso Won Books, an independent Black-owned bookstore, will be on site selling the books included in the program. Guests can purchase a special gift for their friends and family. The Los Angeles Public Library will host a table providing public library information and adult literacy.
"Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to join CAAM in this special day of literacy," said a spokesperson for the event.
CAAM's events, programs and exhibitions are free for the public to attend. CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Hours of operation are Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and closed Mondays. Parking is $10 in the lot adjacent to CAAM at 39th and Figueroa Streets. For more information about CAAM and its exhibitions, programs and events, please visit: http://www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-7432. Follow CAAM on Twitter @CAAMinLA and "Like" the CAAM Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com.


text: Springfield1911 EMP Compact 3 Inch 9mm 3... Springfield GI Pistol 5" Stainless 7-Rou... SK Customs Graphite Grey/Gold Plated, Hi... SK Customs Diamond Graphite Grey/Fire Bl... SK Customs PRODUCTION! Springfield 1911.... Guns Pistols Springfield Armory Pistols Type Springfield Range Officer STAINLESS . acp NIB | 663 | 57 | Lc | 62.4582ms View Category Springfield Range Officer STAINLESS .45 acp 5" 1911 *NIB* For Sale from Oak Hill Guns | Positive feedback: 95% View | Verified Seller | 1975 Completed Sales View Sellers Items /UserImages/3054/935392540 11998045.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998045.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_sm_11998045.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998045.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998045.jpg /UserImages/3054/935392540 11998046.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998046.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_sm_11998046.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998046.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998046.jpg /UserImages/3054/935392540 11998047.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998047.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_sm_11998047.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998047.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998047.jpg /UserImages/3054/935392540 11998048.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998048.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_sm_11998048.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998048.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998048.jpg /UserImages/3054/935392540 11998049.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998049.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_sm_11998049.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998049.jpg https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3054/935392540/wm_11998049.jpg Description: BRAND NEW - SPRINGFIELD 1911 RANGE OFFICER 45 ACP 5" STAINLESS Includes Cleaning Tools, Lock, Manual and 2 Mags all in factory hard case. Springfield Armory® has just introduced a new 1911 designed for people interested in shooting competitively. It is called— The RO™, "Range Officer™". The RO™ is designed to give the shooter exceptional quality, at an affordable price. One of the goals was to create a pistol that is acceptable in many different styles of shooting competitions, so the shooter can decide which one he likes most. It is built with the same quality as the TRP™ and Trophy Match™ models, but Springfield has removed the "extras" that result in a higher price. It's everything you need in a competition model, at an affordable price, and easily upgradable for your future needs. SKU: PI9124LP Caliber: .45ACP Weight w/Empty Magazine: 40 ozs. Recoil System: Standard Guide Rod Height: 5.5" Length: 8.5" Slide: Stainless Forged Steel Frame: Stainless Forged Steel Trigger: Long, Lightweight Speed, 5 - 7 lbs. Magazines: 2 - 7 Round Grips: Cocobolo Barrel: 5" Stainless Steel Sights: Low Profile Adjustable Target TRADES Welcome Shipping just $25 to the lower 48, all prices listed reflect a 3% cash discount which is not available when paying with credit card. We do not accept personal checks and no longer offer lay-a-way simply because we want to process your order and ship immediately. We do ship to CA if item is on the DOJ approved list for an additional $10 to cover DOJ "import" paperwork. Check out my other listings for more great deals! Read More Condition: New In Box Brand: SPRINGFIELD ARMORY UPC: 706397900922 Caliber: .45 ACP Location: PA Trades Accepted: Trades Welcome, we accept good quality firearms that are in at least good condition and working order.Conact us with details of your trade item(s). Read More All prices listed reflect a 3% cash discount which is not available when paying with credit card. We do not accept personal checks and no longer offer lay-a-way simply because we want to process your order and ship immediately. CA residents add $10 for DOJ acceptance paperwork. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Frequently Asked Questions -> Q: Lay-a-way? A: No, we no longer accept lay-a-way. We want to process your order and ship immediately. Q: What forms of payment do you accept? A: We accept major credit cards, money orders, bank / cashiers checks. Q: Can I return the item? A: We offer a 3 day non firing inspection on all used firearms. New items are backed by the manufacturers warranty and should be sent directly to them or an authorized factory repair center. New items can only be returned with prior approval and will be subject to a 10% restocking fee. Shipping Notes: 25 Shipping USPS Priority InsuredYou will receive email confirmation upon receiving your order, payment and the FFL license from your dealer, we will then provide tracking info via email upon shipping.Q Can you ship a firearm directly to my residence A No, all firearms must be shipped to a FFL Federal Firearms Licensed dealer for transfer to you. The shipping price is listing in the description for each item. Q How do I find a FFL dealer A Click on FFL Find Read More Share Item Item #: 935392540 SKU: PI9124L Stock No.: RO SS 5" .45 Oak Hill Guns Seller Since: Mar. 2005 Identity Verified ( Ulster, PA ) Trusted Seller This seller is an FFL City: Ulster State: PA Price: SOLD (Price reflects 3% cash discount.) This Seller Accepts Online Payment Shipping: $25.00 (or Arrange local transfer) Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: See Description Your Recently Viewed Items


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Welcome to the club
Enter code INSIDER10 at checkout to save 10% off your first full priced order.
Game room lighting is just as important as the grown-up toys and games lucky enough to make the cut into the hangout quarters. We offer a wide selection of ceiling lights to enhance the room's "beauty" and amplify the spotlight on the room's most prized features.


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What do you make of Hillary's comment that Obama's promises and speeches are "just words"? Kennedy's rhetoric when he was president turned out to be a key to his success. His mere words about Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba helped resolve the worst crisis the world has ever known without the U.S. having to fire a shot.Remember those mere words the next time you're preparing a speech. Think about your potential to impact the audience. Is your speech--and its delivery--going to live up to that promise?
(Photo credit: Robert L. Knudsen/National Archives via pingnews.)


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Hi Charlie Brown,
Just wanted to say how stunned I am regarding some of the posts about the child abuse and domestic violence cases. I just can't believe how many people believe this is OK. I feel like I wanna jump out a window right now. I feel like I'm living in a crazy world with all these people giving Peterson a pass. Makes me crazy. Yikes. I'm glad that someone is reasonable here.
Janet (Broncoslover115)
My name is Janet,
I just wanted to thank you for your post in that Violence Against Women thread. It was a spot on comment and one in which I felt brought some needed sanity to the thread.
The series does a good job depicting the exploitation of young Mexican women. I assumed you would like it. It was probably my favorite show last year. You should give it another chance.
Did you watch the FX television series 'The Bridge'?
Is Sheard available? I have #8, #40, and #63. I would love to make a deal if your interested.
What would you request for C Alex Mack?
No one has claimed the Browns in this years GM game. You should join up if you have the time. The game would benefit immensely from your knowledge.


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I think I just got spammed by way of this site
I think I just got spammed by way of this site
Orlando - '11 MazdaSpeed 3, '99 Miata 10AE, '99 BMW M Coupe
Orlando Roadsters (www.facebook.com/pages/Orlando-Roadsters)
Somebody pleeeeeeease fix this site or shut it down......
'02 Sunburst Yellow P5 with just a little power adder
I sent a message to the owner and a couple of mods four months ago requesting cleansing. I wrote one of the mods twice since then but he never comes in here. I even asked for him to make me a mod so I could clean it up. Bottom line, I think that unfortunately this site has seen better days.
'81 RX-7, '00 Miata SE, '06 RX-8 (wife's), '15 CX-5 GT AWD.
Yeah, been trying to remove a lot. Ugh.
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R
2008 Mazdaspeed3 (daily)
I just sent a message about this, hopefully it will get removed. Wish there was some way to block these 'bots permanently.
'81 RX-7, '00 Miata SE, '06 RX-8 (wife's), '15 CX-5 GT AWD.
There is a way. There is no forum administration, and the anti-bot software is obsolete. Vbulletin folded years ago, and developers went and started. Xenforo. That is what I made www.mazdaspeeds.org with.
It would take a few hours, but can delete all the spam though. I messaged, PM'd, reported. Nobody is home.


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ATLANTA (AP) - Buddy Guy knows that blues music isn't the taste of today's youth, but the Chicago guitar legend wants to show directors at radio stations and aspiring musicians that the classic sound is still alive with his new album, "Rhythm & Blues."
"I'm not saying play the blues every day like everything else," said Guy, who released the album Tuesday, the same day he turned 77. "Just play the blues two or three times a week and I'll be happy with that.
Guy is looking to make a hit by infusing his down-home country blues sound with top acts from the rock and country music realm. The double album includes guest appearances from Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Beth Hart and Gary Clark Jr.
Guy, who toured with the Rolling Stones during the 1960s, said there are a few fresh acts keeping the blues sound alive with Clark Jr. and 14-year-old guitarist Quinn Sullivan. He said they may be the key to "wake up" the genre.
"In the late '50s and '60s, people in America were ignoring guys like B.B. King and T-Bone Walker," Guy said. "But when the British guys started playing the blues, people thought it was something new, but that gave the blues a lift. I'm hoping that same thing will happen with the new youngsters."


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Active Gear Collection - Iron Man Mk V
Active Gear Collection - Iron Man Mk V by Art Spirits. Due in March 2013 for 7,900 yen.
On the web: http://blog.yahoo.com/cybergundam/
More: Action Figure / Character Toy / News /
More News
Comments1 comment posted
I find
I find this Active Gear figures weird, their proportions are way off. The paint and finish does seem great, though.
mikespiegel on 6 December, 2012 - 07:43


text: The genre has proven lucrative for publishers,[2][3][4] many of which are Christian publishers, such as Bethany House, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan.[5] The first commercially successful Amish romance novel, according to writer Valerie Weaver-Zercher, was Beverly Lewis' The Shunning, published in 1997 by Bethany House.[5] In addition, over 150 Amish fiction e-books were self-published between 2010 and 2013.[6] The three most successful authors of Amish romance—Beverly Lewis, Cindy Woodsmall, and Wanda Brunstetter—have sold over 24 million books.[6]


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AUGUSTA – Federal regulators were horrified that corrections officers had been subduing patients at the Riverview Psychiatric Center with stun guns and handcuffs, according to newly released inspection details that threaten to spike $20 million in federal funding for the state mental hospital.
The Tasers were gone as of May 24, and the contract for Kennebec County to provide corrections officers to the hospital ended Sunday.
"We ran into some difficulties with regard to what responsibilities we were willing to take on," Kennebec County Chief Deputy Ryan Reardon said Tuesday. "Officers were hands-on half a dozen times a day, and sometimes more, to prevent patients from harming themselves, other patients and employees."
The corrections officers from the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office were brought in as a safety measure following attacks by patients on their peers and on hospital workers. Initially, county officers augmented state corrections officers, and now the responsibility for safety at Riverview has been resumed by state corrections personnel.
Security had been stepped up following a particularly vicious attack on a mental health worker March 16 by a patient.
But those security measures were cited top among deficiencies by state and federal regulators who inspected the state forensic hospital in unannounced visits May 8-10.
And if those problems at the 92-bed Riverview Psychiatric Center remain uncorrected, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has warned the hospital it could lose $20 million in federal money — more than half its operating budget — beginning Sept. 2.
Riverview Superintendent Mary Louise McEwen said Tuesday that a plan to correct the deficiencies was submitted to federal officials on Friday, and she hopes it will be accepted.
She said corrective measures began almost immediately after the visit and the report, which was sent to the hospital June 4, but there was some initial miscommunication about what federal officials wanted to see in a corrective plan.
"We understand completely what we need to do to satisfy their requirements," McEwen said.
Gov. Paul LePage blames the Democrat-controlled Legislature for failing to fund his proposal to alleviate problems at Riverview by creating a mental health ward at the Maine State Prison in Warren. He is asking lawmakers to return to work on the issue before the next session in January.
The 88-page inspection report after inspectors visited the hospital in March and May shows where the psychiatric hospital failed to meet standards:
• Failure to prevent abuse, putting patients in immediate jeopardy.
"The hospital permitted law enforcement personnel to use Tasers and handcuffs on any patient on the unit, and allowed them to intervene for any patient who they perceived as demonstrating threatening behavior," the report stated.
The hospital addressed that issue during the site visit in May, initiating education for staff and Kennebec County Sheriff's Office corrections officers, protocol clarification and hospital review of all incidents, according to the report.
• Failure to comply with laws that ensure patients are treated in a safe setting and free from physical and psychological abuse and harassment.
• Failure to ensure patient rights "as evidenced by the use of a Taser on a patient who was in a non-threatening position on the floor and use of hard handcuffs by sheriff's officers to escort patients to seclusion and restraint," placing patients "in danger of physical harm, pain and mental anguish."
While hospital personnel are trained in Non Abusive Psychological and Physical Intervention, known as NAPPI, the county corrections officers were trained in use of restraint and control, the report says.
In one incident, on May 1, a Taser was used on a patient after other interventions were tried. A report showed that "the patient had pulled a soap dispenser off the wall and thrown it at staff."
Another patient, identified as Patient B, was handcuffed following an incident May 7 during which the patient allegedly kicked a hole in the bathroom wall. The patient was twice able to get out of five-point restraints "and attempted to assault staff." The nurse who documented the incident told the team "she supported the use of handcuffs in this highly assaultive patient."
The report also faults Riverview with failing to meet standards for patient rights involving restraint or seclusion.
Former Chief Justice Daniel Wathen oversees a long-standing consent decree that settled a lawsuit by mental health advocates that holds the state mental health system to agreed-upon standards of care. Wathen had referenced "two serious security situations on the Lower Saco Unit" in his most recent report issued last month.
"One incident involved a client assaulting a member of the staff and the second involved jeopardy to the health and safety of patients arising from the actions of correctional officers providing unit security," Wathen wrote in a report.
In his report, Wathen foreshadowed the funding threat Riverview now faces. He noted that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "has an effective remedy for correcting deficiencies, it has both the authority and the intention to suspend payment for Medicare services unless the deficiencies are addressed to its satisfaction."
Betty Adams can be contacted at 621-5631 or at:
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(Pocket-lint) - Those already being asked what they'd like for Christmas might want to take a glance at the 2012 edition of the famous TW Steel watches. Available from Amazon in time for the festive season, as well as from other retailers in time, is the TWA 202 watch which took our attention away from all of the others on display simply because it looks great.
Black and tan is not a colour combination you see all that often in watches and there's something rather - and we mean this in as non-childish way as possible - James Bond about it. We're talking a kind of all-new and rugged Daniel Craig, late Noughties/early 2010s kind of zeitgeist man; the kind of man that's allowed to be a man again whether that entails garotting Russians with cheese wire or just walking round with a super cool man watch.
If that's the kind of man you aspire to be, then get you own hands-on, or better still through, the TW Steel TWA 202. It has a sizeable 50mm, PVD black-coated, steel case; precision movement - of course - and a nifty, but probably pointless, winder lock mechanism which really just adds a few man points. Last of all, it's finished off with a tan leather strap which almost says "Desert Storm" without actually committing you to making up tales of the flaming oil fields of Kuwait - which is good because you probably weren't there.
The TWA 202 can be yours for £425. Stop your blubbing and dig deep.


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|This is the article on chapter 453. For episode 198 of Naruto: Shippūden, head to Five Kage Summit's Eve.
"The Eve of the Five Kage Summit…!!" (五影会談前夜…!!, Gokage Kaidan Zenya…!!, Viz: Gokage Summit's Eve) is chapter 453 of the original Naruto manga.
While Taka is heading to Konoha they are met by Tobi. Tobi informs them that they are wasting their time since Konoha has already been destroyed. What's more, they failed to capture the Eight-Tails and thus are still indebted to Akatsuki. To reach a compromise, Tobi sends them to the approaching Kage Summit so that Sasuke can kill Danzō, the new Hokage and a conspirator in the Uchiha clan's assassination. In Konoha, Sakura is brought to tears by Team Samui's requests to give them information that will be used to kill Sasuke. Naruto offers to tell them what they need so that Sakura doesn't need to, adding that they can still save Killer B if they act soon.


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Weekly Web Developer Q&A (4/22/2016)
Subscribe to the Podcast [saf] If you sent me a question via email, Twitter, YouTube, etc this week… then look below because there's a good
Subscribe to the Podcast [saf] If you sent me a question via email, Twitter, YouTube, etc this week… then look below because there's a good
Enter your email below and I'll show how to charge more and build a 100K freelance business from scratch:
John did an outstanding job on my project. I highly recommend him and look forward to working with him on future projects.
On the Freelancing on Upwork course: "This is by far the best course i have watched on Skillshare!! Thank you so much."
Not only is John a very talented programmer and developer, he is also an excellent communicator. He has a talent for taking complex subjects and communicating them in terms that anyone can understand. This is a rare combination. This ability has enabled me to take my skills and knowledge to the next level. Thank you John for for all that you do.
John is a fantastic and patient tutor, who is not just able to share knowledge and communicate it very effectively – but able to support one in applying it. However, I believe that John has a very rare ability to go further than just imparting knowledge and showing one how to apply it. He is able to innately provoke one's curiosity when explaining and demonstrating concepts, to the extent that one can explore and unravel their own learning journey. Thanks very much John!
I recommend John every chance I get. If every person I worked with were as committed to excellence, punctuality, value, and unquestionable integrity… the world would be a better place. Highest recommendation.
John is amazing at building membership sites. He converted one of my sites over from it's existing (hardly working) platform over to the clean and simple to use WishList membership platform. I highly recommend using John and WishList for any of your membership site needs.
He significantly improved my site through his expert knowledge of PHP, CSS and Javascript. Would definitely recommend John to others.


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While fans are currently anticipating the release of the final installment of the Twilight franchise in just a few short months (as well as the accompanying, sure-to-be-interesting press tour for the film), a number of new promo images from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 have landed online to tide them over. Not unlike this gallery featuring the covens, there are 11 images in all here showcasing the film's major characters and a massive amount of brooding. Seriously, this cast has that "smoldering" thing down pat.
Hit the jump to take a look at the images. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 opens on November 16th.
Images via Hey U Guys.


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When sorting through my images in Apple Aperture I regularly find myself wanting to post one, or a few dozen, of them to one of my WordPress sites. Does anyone know of an Aperture plugin or some way to create a quick post directly from the app? If Aperture was written in PHP, I'd be set!
EDIT: I mistakenly referred to 'Adobe' Aperture. I really need to make a choice between Lightroom & Aperture, and stick with it.